The rumor I've heard about Sam's briefcase of money is that it was Samsonite's money... they used it to get an on-air plug. Sam said "I have $250,000 in this Samsonite briefcase."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21110-2004Apr17.html On 'Apprentice,' a Briefcase Study in Chutzpah
• The first season of NBC's "The Apprentice" may be over, but Chevy Chase's Sam Solovey, who was fired on episode No. 3, is still cashing in. On the Thursday night finale, Solovey offered a $250,000 bribe to Donald Trump if he'd hire him. He displayed and mentioned -- now this is important -- a Samsonite briefcase. Needless to say, Trump didn't take him up on the offer. (Since when does the Donald need $250,000 anyway?)
On Friday, Samsonite Sam went on local radio stations to brag about his business savvy. He didn't deny it when Brett Haber from Z104 (WWZZ) asked if he had a deal with the luggage company. Solovey replied smugly, "I gave them about a half-a-million-dollar ad spot on national TV," adding, "They won't let me say a darn thing, but I will say that the briefcase was promptly shipped in from the lovely Samsonite corporation."
He later told us he wouldn't discuss any "ancillary arrangements," including his deal with Samsonite. How much did they pay him? "I have no comment on that."
NBC wasn't pleased about the unsanctioned plug, he said, but insisted, "I can handle it."